Excavating machine



P. o. HAWKINS 1,857,302

EXCAVATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1951 May 10, .1932.

7 o I m M@ Z m 2 w W 4 3 m w E j W 4 F M W/ 5 6 6. 5 sfl P. o. HAWKINS EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed July 25,- 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

May 16,1932. P. o. HAWKINS EXCAVATING, MACHINE s Shets-Sheet 3 Filed July 25, 1931 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-VICE."

PERCY o. HAWKINS, or HAMMonnjinnIANA, AssIeNoa'or .ONE-HALF'TO GEORGEFA. i RUs'r; or won'rrr, ILLINOIS v p ExcAvATINe MACHINE Application filed July i931. Serial No. 553,035.

My invention relates to an excavating device or shovel and has for onepurpose the provision of an excavating shovel of an improved type. One object is the provision of means for moving said shovel substantially directly forwardly a considerable distance prior to its upward lift. AHOlJhGP-ObJGCt is the provision of improved means for supporting such a shovel. Another object isthe provision of an improved crowding means fo such a shovel. Anotherobject is the provi sion of an improvedrable connection for actuating such shovel. Other objects will appear from time to time in the courseof the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying draw ings, wherein I Figure 1 is a side elevation with the shovel in excavating or crowd1ngposition;. I Figure 2 is a similar view with the shovel lifted; V I t Figure 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure l; and v Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating a rearrangement of the parts for drawing the shovel toward the base structure. I v Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings. Referring to the drawings, A generally in dicates any-suitable base or body which may be supported for example uponthe endless track or crawler structure A including the wheels or pulley A An suitable means may be employed for actuating such endless track or supporting structure and since the details do not of themselves form part of the present invention, they are not herein shown.

B, B generally indicate portions of an A-frame, the members B and B being secured together as at B Pivoted as at B is the boom B Also pivoted at B is a'brace B to the upper end ofwhich is pivoted,.as at B the arm or link B 7 The'link has atits opposite ends the sheaves B andB and the boom B is provided with the terminal sheave 13 and an intermediate sheave BF. G indicates the bucket stick which may be pivoted to the arm B for example concentrically with the sheave Bf. C 1 indicates with a bottom or door 0 pivoted thereto as at. U. C is a sheave mounted for example in the yoke or stirrup C also pivoted to the bucket C C indicates any suitablelatch for the bucket closure C which may for exconnection between the support 13 and the arm B The sheave C is concentric with the connection between the support B and the base of the A-frame member B. Thus the length of the line C is not substantially varied by movement of the bucket and its supporting parts. A counter-clockwise movement of the lever C will serve to open the bucket by drawing the latch (E -against the spring 0 i i I provide a plurality of concentrically mounted drums D D which may be actuated by any suitable hoisting mechanism the de tails ofwhich are not herein shown. I provide, however, separate control levers D D for the actuation of the two drums. ended on the druinD is the pull-back cable D which passes about the sheave B and is dead ended at the top of the A-frame at the junction of the members B and B E indicates thehoist and crowd cable, one end of which may be deadended on'the drum D The cable then passesabout the intermediate sheave B on the boom, then about Deadany suitable bucket at the lower endthereof crowding function. It then passes about the 7 terminal sheave 13 at the outer end of the boom and about the bucket sheave C and is I dead ended as'at E adjacent the outer. end

of the boom. E? indicates the boom cable which is dead ended upon a separate smaller drum E and passes about a sheave E atthe top of the A-frame, thence about a small sheaveE at the top of the boom, thence about the sheaves E E, thence back to another bucket C? is simply reversed on the bucket stickC or rather the bucket and stick are both reversed. This reversal may be obtained for'example by pivoting the stick-Gto the arm B by means of any suitable removable pivot pin G. Vhen' the pin is removed the.

stick is reversed and the bucket is then in the osition in which it is shown in Figure 4.

' his necessitates a rearrangement of thecable and changes the function of the arm '13 which may be bolted in the position in which it is shown in Figure 4 as by employment of the bolt or bolts G passing through the lugs G G? on the support B and the arm B respectively. In other words the arm B then becomes a part of or a short extension of the support B the two operating in unison as a single member. The. sheaves B B may be left in position but are not employed.

I then employ apull cable Hdead ended on the drum D and'dead ended as at H on the bucket C H indicates a cable which may be called a hoist cable which extends from the drum D about the sheaves B and 13 to the bucket C to which it is dead ended as at H scribed and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes ma made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I wish my drawings, therefore, to be taken as in a broad senseillustrative and diagrammatic rather than as limiting me specifically to the details of the present showing. For example while I have illustrated a practical arrangement of cables it will be understood that under some circumstances the cable arrangements may be more or less varied. V j

It will also befunderstood that Where in my claims I specify 'a support pivoted to the 7 base, I wish this limitation to be interpreted sufliciently broadly to cover the pivotal supporting of the support B on the base, either by being directly pivoted to the base, or by being pivoted to some intermediate member, such asthe boom B The use and operation of my invention are as follows Considering first theparts in the arrange ment in which they are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the cable E serves simply to raise andlower the boom 13 in the usual manner. The bucket "stick C is pivoted at one end of e te whi h in turn is p vo e to h upper end of the support B, such support It will be realized that whereas I have de being pivoted at the base of the boom and A-frame as at B Note that the boom B and the support B are concentrically pivoted. The result is a very flexible support for bucket stick and bucket. In the cables as shown in Figures 1,2 and 3 the cable E actuates the bucket. It will be noted that the sheave B is at the end of a rear bend of the cable between. the sheaves B and B Therefore, pulling on the cable E tends to move the sheave B forwardly along a generally horizontal line for a considerable distance, The result is a very efiicient crowding actionexerted' at the sheave B", which moves the upper end of the stick C directly forward. This crowding action is substantial- 1y entirely controlled by paying off the line I). The extent to which this line is paid off limits the forward crowding movement as of course unless I) is paid off the sheave B serves to hold the arm B in position. The outer bend of the cable E, which passes aboutthe bucket sheave C efi'ec-ts the lifting action on the bucket and when the arm 13 is held against movement by failure to pay out the cable Dthen the bucket stick C rotates about its pivot and the bucket describes an are about the sheaveB as a center. As the stick C ispivoted at'its upperend, the radius of the arm is equal to the length of the stick 0 and the bucket C This is in contrast to the old practice in which the stick is pivoted intermediatev its ends and I thus get the advantage 'of having the entire length of stick and bucket for radius. This, in comparison to prior practice, is a gain of over one third in the length of the radius, in' addltion to the increased'crowding effect of permitting the pivot point itself to move forwardly until it strikes the boom. In the pres ent device the bucket may; be carried on grade forwardly a distance of about ten feet orsomewhat more, whereas in'the known types of bucket now on the market the forward movement on grade of the bucket is at a maximum of about three feet and is generally less than three feet. In other words it takes a big shovel ofthe presenttype to out three feet on grade. The device herein shown. more than triples the present general limit of forward bucket movement on grade. The operator, in order to control this grade movement, simply controls thepayofi of the cable D, which can continue untilthe rocker arm actually abuts against the boom in the position in which it is shown forexampl'e in FigureQ. Then iii;

back on the cable D approximately the length of the stick 0. Thus the bucket may be dumped in any .position between the fully extended position shown in Figure 2 and the fully withdrawn position above described.

An advantageous feature of my device rests in the fact that whenthe bucket C is in withdrawn position at the beginning of its excavating travel it rests nearly fiat on the ground, in contrast to the prior art buckets in which when the bucket is drawn back as far as possible, the bucket stick is at an acute angle to the horizontal in the old type and the bucket teeth rest on and dig into the ground at approximately a 45 degree angle. As a result the initial movement plows up the ground and the teeth produce a very rough finish. In my device, on the contrary, the bucket rests so flat that the teeth do not dig into the ground and a relatively smooth surface is produced from the very starting point of the bucket. Referring to Figure 1, if the cable D is drawn in a little farther the support B is vertical and when in such position before the excavation begins, by paying off the cable D the bucket may be dropped sub stantially verticallyto the ground or surface. Prior to the excavating stroke it may be supported somewhat above the ground at any desired point. WVhen by paying oftthe cable D it has been dropped'to the ground, then the conjoint employment of the cables D and E, paying off and drawing in to suit the situation, eflects the excavating function. .In effect the grade is controlled by paying off the cable D while cable E is in operation or is being drawn in. When the cable E is drawn in its moves the bucket out, and when, at the same time, the cable D* is paid out,

it controls the grade by permitting forward movement of the upper end of the stick. By permitting the upper end of the stick to float forward with the bucket I get a horizontal planing action which is characteristic of the use of my structure.

A further advantageous use of my device is in excavating basements or the like where a vertical movement of the bucket is desirable at the end of a horizontal movement. Thus, I can get a vertical bank. I obtain this effect by maintaining cable E taut, without causing the bucket to move forwardly any farther, and then draw in on the cable D. This rocks the entire bucket supporting structure and while it is beingrocked the operator may pay off slightly on cable E. By this means a vertical bank may be dug and the bucket may be lifted over such a bank and dumped on the other side. This is useful for example in foundation excavation.

In referring to the form of Figure 4 it is possible by a very slight change, as above described, to convert myv device into a hoe or pull-shovel. By merely reversing the stick C and the shovel C and by lowering the In this case the cable I-I serves as a draw cable for pulling men the bucket and for giving it its actual digging impulse. The cable H is a bucket lifting cable and the cables Hiand H between them serve positively to position the bucket 0 The pivotal intersection between the stick C and the unitary member B B floats free. The cable C maybe omitted, since the bucketmay dump out of its front ormouth rather than through. its gate or back.

I claim:

' 1. In an excavating device, a'base, a boom, a support pivotedyto the base, a rocker. arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said support, abucket stick pivoted to said arm, sheaves mounted at the opposite ends of said rocker arm, a -plurality of hoistingdrums, a pull back cable associated'with one of said drums and passing about a sheave on one end of said arm and a crowding and bucket hoisting cable associated with another said drum and passing about a sheave at'the opposite end of said rocker arm.

2. In an excavating device, a base, a boom, a support pivotedto the base, a rocker arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said support, a bucket'stickipivotedfto said arm, sheaves mounted at the opposite ends of said rocker arm, a plurality of hoisting drums, a pull back cable associated with one of said drums and passing about a sheave on the inner end of said arm and a crowding and bucket hoistand passing about a sheave at the outer of said rocker arm.

3. In an excavating device, a base, a boom, a support pivoted to the base, a rocker arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said support, a bucket stick pivoted to one end of said rocker arm and cable means for actuating said bucket stick. I

4. In an excavating device, a base, a boom, a support pivoted to the base, a rocker arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said support, a bucket stick pivoted to one end of said rocker arm and cable means for'actuating said bucket stick, including a pull back cable associated with one end of the rocker arm and a crowding cable associated with another end of the rocker arm and with the bucket stick.

5. In an excavating device, a'base, a boom, a support pivoted to the base, a rocker arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said support, a bucket stick pivoted to said arm, sheaves arm, a plurality of hoisting drums, a pull back cable associated with one of said drums and passing about a sheave on one end of said arm and a crowding and bucket hoisting '12:; V mounted at the opposite ends of said rocker iso cable associated with anothersaid drum and passing first about a sheave positioned intermediate theendsof the boom,then about a sheave at one'end 'of the rocker arm, then about a terminal boom sheave, then about a bucket sheave, said cable being dead ended upon the boom. v

6. In an excavating device, a base, a boom, a support pivoted tothe base, a rocker arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said support,

-- a bucket stick pivoted to one end of said rocker arm and cable means for actuating said bucket stick, and a bucket at the lower end of said bucket stick, said bucket stick 15 being reversibly mounted upon said rocker arm. I f

7. In an excavating device, a base, a boom mounted on the base, a support in pivotal relationship with the base, a rocker arm piv- 20 oted, intermediate its ends, adjacent the top of said support, a bucket stick pivoted to one end of the rocker arm and cable means for actuating said bucket stick, the rocker arm being normally freely rotatable in rela- 25 tion to the support to which it is pivoted,

' means for holding the rocker arm against rotation in relation to the support, the bucket stick being reversible in relation to the rocker arm. a

30 Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this16th day of July, 1931. I v PERCY O. HAWKINS. 

